Apparatus for washing photographic prints.



Patented Oct.17,1 911.

W. S. RICHARDSON.

APPARATUS FOR. WASHING PHOTOGEAPHIU PRINTS, APPLICATION FILED APB.3, 1911.

n m A MW 6 W W W WILLIAM S. RICHARDSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR WASHING PHOTOGRAPiIIC PRINTS.

Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1'7, 1911.

Application filed April 3, 1911; Serial No. 618,528.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. RICHARD- sox, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of ivlassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for ashing Photographic Prints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for washing photographic prints.

As is well known to all persons skilled in the art, the obtaining of successful photographic prints depends in very large measure upon a proper and thorough washing thereof. It has heretofore been the common practice among amateur and some professional, photographers, to place the prints in a basin or similar receptacle and allow the water from a faucet to fill and overflow the basin for a considerable space of ti1ne-say an hour-thus supplying more or less fresh water during the washing process but ndvcr completely changing the water at any time. \Vashing by this and similar methods is not sufficiently thorough to insure successful prints and photographers generally have found it necessary in order to make successful and satisfactory prints, to QIllPiY'tllQ receptacle in which the prints are washed and refill it with fresh water nine or ten times during the washing process. T his necessity of emptying and refilling the washing receptacle and of oc casionally moving the prints about in the water, requires the constant attendance and attention of, the photographer during the whole'of the washing process, and is not 'only a source of trouble and annoyance.

but also of expense in that it keeps him from other and more profitable employ ment.

It is the object of my invention to provide an apparatus whereby the water receptacle or rcserv ir containing the prints may be automatically filled and emptied at the desired intervals of time. and the prints kept in constant motion during; the whole or practically the whole of the washing process, thus insuring thorough washing of the prints without the necessity of the attendance and attention o f the photographer during the hour or more required for a thorough and successful washing.

Referring to the draWings,Figurc '1 is a side view of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail View of a port of the siphon shown in Figs. 1 and 2; F ig. 4 is a similar .view of. a modified form of siphon; and

Fig. 5 is aside view of a valve suitable for use in my improved apparatus.

A is a water reservoir made of wood or other suitable material. and preferably havinp; a curved wall.

'13 is an inlet pipe connected with any suitable and convenient source ofwater supply, such as a faucet, and let into the reservoir eccentric to the center thereof, so that a substantially rotary movement is given to the water in the reservoir. In practice, I have found it convenient to employ an inlet pipe of rubber or other flexible material which may bereadily placed over the edge of the reservoir and secured to the inner wall thereof as shown in F '1. In the bottom of the reservoir there is pro vided an outlet port C which is of relatively large area to permit the rapid discharge of the water as presently to be described. A suitable closure is provided for the port C, and for this purpose I prefer to employ a valve D of the form shown in the drawings, the port C being provided with a valve seat (Z therefor.

E is a siphon of approximately the same cross sectional area as the inlet pipe B, which passes through the wall of the reservoir the longer leg thereof being outside the reservoir. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the bottom of the reservoir immediately below the siphon is preferably hollowed out, thus enabling the siphon to operate when the water reaches a very low level. Upon the wall of the reservoir there is mounted a post F to which is pivoted an arm Gr, one end thereof being secured to the valve D by a chain or other flexible connection 9. To the other end of said arm there is secured by a flexible connection 9, a movable bucket H adapted to receive the water from the siphon E and provided with perforations h of smaller area than the cross sectional area of the ,siphon. A counter weight- J is preferably provided upon that end of the arm G to which the valve I) is connected and the combined weight of said valve D chain 9 and counter-weight J is greater thanthe weight of the bucket H and chain 9. The upward and downward movement of the arm G is limited by stops f, f, upon the post F. A. shield I, secured to the wall of the reservoir and positioned as shown in Fig. 2, serves to prevent the prints as they move about in the reservoir, from coming in contact with and catching on the siphon E, chain 9 and valve D.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The reservoir being empty and, the parts in their normal position, shown in Fig. 1, the prints to be washed areplaced within the reservoir A and the water let in through the inlet pipe B which, by reason of its eccentric position, gives a substantially rotary movement to the water, thus agitating the prints. When the water within the reservoir hasrisen to a height si' cient to start the siphon, the water begins to flow therefrom into the bucket H; As soon as the combined weight of the chain 57 bucket, and water siphoned therein is sufiicient to overbalance the combined weight. of the valve D, the weight of water thereon chain g and counter-weight J preferably employed, the bucket falls and thrfou h its pivotal connection with the valve D liits the latter from its seat thus permitting the water in the reservoir readily and rapidly to flow from the relatively large port C, as Well as from the siphon. It will be clear that when the reservoir has thus been emptied, or the water therein has fallen to a level so low that the siphon can no longer operate, the latter ceases to supply Water to the bucket and the water therein flows out through the perforations 7:. so that the combined weight of the valve D chain 9 and counter-weight J overbalances the bucket and chain 9. and the valve drops back to normalclosed position upon its seat. lmniediately upon the closing of the port 0, in the manner above described, the water again begins to .rise in the reservoir and the filling and emptying thereof goes on automatically as above described until the supof water is shut off from the inlet pipe.

P If desired, the siphon instead of being of the form shown in Figs. '1 and 3, may be made'as shown in-Fig. 4. In said figure, A is the reservoir and E a tube closed at the top and open at the bottom and having branches 6 located one above another, said branches extending through the Wall of the reservoir. A suitable siphon tube may be slipped over any one of said branches 6 to form therewith the longer leg of the siphon,

automatically to close said port when the water in said reservoir falls below a pre I determined level, said port being of sufiicient size to permit the discharge of substantially all the water from said reservoir, the supply through said inlet pipe being uninterrupted.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a water reservoir having a discharge port in its bottom, of an inlet pipe, a closure for said port, and means comprising a siphon adapted to open said port when the water rises above a predetermined level and automatically to close said port when the water in said reservoir falls below a predetermined level, said port being of suiiicient size to permit the discharge of substantially all the water from said reservoir, the supply through said inlet pipe being uninterrupted.

3. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a Water reservoir hav mg. a discharge port, of an inlet pipe, a closure for said port, a siphon having its shorter leg inside and its longer leg outside said reservoir, a movable bucket adapted to receive the water from said siphon and to be moved thereby, and a connection between 1said bucket and said closure to operate the atter.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a water reservoir having a discharge port, of an inlet pipe, a closure for said port, a siphon having its shorter leg inside and its longer leg outside said reservoir, a movable bucket and atomnection between said bucket and said closure,

said bucket adapted to receive the water from said siphon and provided with perforations of' smaller area than the cross sectional area of said siphon, whereby said bucket will be filled with water from said siphon and operate-by gravity to raise said closure, and will thereafter be emptied to permit the return of said closureto normal position.

5. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination'with a water reservoir havmg a curved Wall and a discharge port provided with a valve seat, of an inlet pipeeccentrically connected to said reservoir whereby the Water is given av substzinriaiiy of said arm and a connection between said rotary .movement, a Valve adapted to close valve and the opposite end of said arm. 34; said port, a siphon having its shorter leg Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, inside and its longer leg outside said reserthis 28th day of March 1911.

You, a perforated movable bucket adapted I WILLIAM S. RICHARDSON.

to receive the Water from said siphon, an Witnesses:

arm pivotuliy mounted on said reservoir, a CHARLES D. VVOODBERRY,

connection between said bucket and one end JOSEFHINE H. RYAN. 

